Another hay one (problem)

[Muddyfunker]

Hi everyone,

New member here having spent a few days here and everywhere reading a lot about hay!!

We live in a property of around 20 acres in Scotland, have done for 5 years.
Normally someone will come in and make hay, take half, we'll keep a few and sell the rest.

This time round we've had a contractor come in and we've kept the lot to sell.

The problem we've got is having left bales, 3x4 rounds out in fields for a couple of weeks, we've brought them inside where they've been for a week. Mostly single level, some stacked only 2 high end on end.
Temperature has climbed but not to worrying levels.
My concern is the wetness in centre of bale and what's happening inside.

I've addressed this with contractor who's basically told me I've brought them in too early and they're cooking, his bales are still outside and they were done a couple of weeks before mine.

I've read so much over the last few days my head is spinning.

I don't think I'm going to have any recourse with this guy who's basically saying I've done wrong in bringing them in too soon.
Other things I've read allude to good enough to bale, good enough to store etc.

I think my question is what would you do in my position?
Can I recover this if it is my fault by getting bales back outside?

I don't want to end up with 200 bales of compost.

I'd really appreciate any helpful advice, I'm not a farmer but also not a mindless townie either, it's not the first hay we've had made and certainly wasn't advised to leave it out for weeks in previous years.

I've photos if that helps.

Many thanks in advance

 

[7610 super q]

Fit to bale.........fit to bring inside straight away they usually cry. Well made hay doesn't heat up, doesn't sweat, doesn't do anything. Sounds like yours just wasn't fit enough. Can you spread them out singly in the shed ? I don't like stacking them on ends at the best of times, but that's just me. I don't think taking them back outside will help......other than avoid the whole lot catching fire.......

Edit, shove some metal bars into the bales to see how warm they're getting

 

[AftonShepherd]

Was it you or the contractor that decided it was fit to bale?

 

[Muddyfunker]

Fit to bale.........fit to bring inside straight away they usually cry. Well made hay doesn't heat up, doesn't sweat, doesn't do anything. Sounds like yours just wasn't fit enough. Can you spread them out singly in the shed ? I don't like stacking them on ends at the best of times, but that's just me. I don't think taking them back outside will help......other than avoid the whole lot catching fire.......

Edit, shove some metal bars into the bales to see how warm they're getting

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I've hammered a metal rod in and dropped a temp probe in a few bales, readings are up to around 125f, I'm monitoring this daily.
I do have others stacked singularly and they seem to be behaving the same.

Was it you or the contractor that decided it was fit to bale?

Also thanks for the reply.

It was the contractor, I'm putting my trust in him.

I appreciate this isn't an exact science and there are lots of opinions.
I very much doubt I'll get anywhere with contractor, he's adamant we're the only one's complaining.

I'm just wondering if I can retrieve this situation and what's the best way of doing it.

 

[AftonShepherd]

Sounds to me like it's been baled too soon, but I'm far from an expert. Likewise I have no experience to suggest ways to retrieve the situation. Hope you find something

 

[Northeastfarmer]

If they are wet in the middle they are sweating and were baled too soon.

they’ll either turn into tobacco or self combust and burn your shed down.

trouble is if you stick a spike in them you could let the air in and they’ll combust.

personally I would of left them outside a fortnight

 

[Muddyfunker]

If they are wet in the middle they are sweating and were baled too soon.

they’ll either turn into tobacco or self combust and burn your shed down.

trouble is if you stick a spike in them you could let the air in and they’ll combust.

personally I would of left them outside a fortnight

Thanks for the reply.

They were left outside for the best part of 2 weeks, they weren't brought straight in.

Is it too late to do anything?

 

[Mark727]

I feel your contractor shouldn't have done it if they're as bad as you say. I don't get this entire leaving hay out for weeks and weeks hay should be baled when it's ready.

Could you possibly bring them back out? That would help a bit and at the very least stop the place burning down. Might not be possible but the best option if possible would be to get them wrapped

 

[Muddyfunker]

I feel your contractor shouldn't have done it if they're as bad as you say. I don't get this entire leaving hay out for weeks and weeks hay should be baled when it's ready.

Could you possibly bring them back out? That would help a bit and at the very least stop the place burning down. Might not be possible but the best option if possible would be to get them wrapped

Thanks for the reply.

This is how I feel but he's pretty much having none of it.
I've even had the thought of taking legal advice flashing through my mind but then I just think is it really worth the hassle and even more stress.

He's basically saying it's baled green as opposed to, by his description, brown as the latter has little feed value.
But then I read that the longer a bale is left outside the value decreases anyway?

I considered wrapping but I'm worried about throwing good money after bad, I've heard pretty eye watering costs for wrapping recently.
Can hay that's reached this condition ever dry if it's left outside again?

I'd be happy if I could recoup anything after this to be honest.
Even if it can be sold to a compost company

One good lesson learned though, don't bother with hay ever again. I'll just top the fields or get someone else's sheep on from now.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Thanks for the reply.

They were left outside for the best part of 2 weeks, they weren't brought straight in.

Is it too late to do anything?

Probably bring them back outside and hope some breeze gets through them

 

[Werzle]

I feel your contractor shouldn't have done it if they're as bad as you say. I don't get this entire leaving hay out for weeks and weeks hay should be baled when it's ready.

Could you possibly bring them back out? That would help a bit and at the very least stop the place burning down. Might not be possible but the best option if possible would be to get them wrapped

Go to s.hite if they wrapped them now, seeing as they are mostly single stacked i would leave them and stop probing them. Try to think of something else for a fortnight.

 

[Mark727]

Thanks for the reply.

This is how I feel but he's pretty much having none of it.
I've even had the thought of taking legal advice flashing through my mind but then I just think is it really worth the hassle and even more stress.

He's basically saying it's baled green as opposed to, by his description, brown as the latter has little feed value.
But then I read that the longer a bale is left outside the value decreases anyway?

I considered wrapping but I'm worried about throwing good money after bad, I've heard pretty eye watering costs for wrapping recently.
Can hay that's reached this condition ever dry if it's left outside again?

I'd be happy if I could recoup anything after this to be honest.
Even if it can be sold to a compost company

One good lesson learned though, don't bother with hay ever again. I'll just top the fields or get someone else's sheep on from now.

No point in any legal action as at the end of the day you unfortunately let him bale it. Yes he should probably have had more cop on if was that green but legally you'd have no case imo

Since it's already cut/baled etc the wrapping costs shouldn't be too bad. It's hard to say without seeing the bales but I'd wrap them

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just to lighten the mood , cows love tabbaco hay and milk well on the ,problem is its a fine art to make , the issue may be it's to wet and to dry, stuck in no man's land
But it ain't compost and the state of the Country apart from my little oassis hidden away in deepest Wales that's had enough rain for now, looks like burnt toast , be worth a fortune later on

 

[Muddyfunker]

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate it.

I might hedge my bets and try a few things and hopefully some will make it.

Love the idea of forgetting about it for a couple of weeks.
If only my anxious mind would allow it.

My default setting is normally worst case scenario

 

[jondear]

I know your in Scotland a different world.!
But this year I shouldn't anyone has made damp hay .The contractor who baled it must be an arseholy to bale it unfit and just say leave it out !

 

[Highland Mule]

Which part of Scotland are you in? There’s a wide difference between top and bottom.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I know your in Scotland a different world.!
But this year I shouldn't anyone has made damp hay .The contractor who baled it must be an arseholy to bale it unfit and just say leave it out !

if it was baled a bit damp, it should have been wrapped straight away. I will admit, I have heard, always leave big bale hay out for two weeks before stacking it in the shed.

 

[Cmoran]

I’d leave them alone from past experience it doesn’t work out if you go moving them

 

[Exfarmer]

If they are 125f there is nothing to worry about. Allow air to get into them and keep an eye on them

 

[Muddyfunker]

Thanks again for your help, nice to not just being called a d**kh**d that's ruined his hay

I'm East coast, bales were left out for a couple of weeks but yes, may have brought them in too soon.
I see hay still out in the fields but I've no idea if this intentional or there's other jobs to do.

I checked when I got home from work and there's a noticeable drop in temperature in the area where the majority are stored. This is not a hay barn but a fairly tall outbuilding with doors open, good ventilation.

Hopefully the temperature rise has stopped and it'll start drying out?
Maybe wishful thinking

Thanks again, appreciate the replies and bit of banter.
It's only money eh